# Centuries-Old Clay Craft Thrives in Ambala as 75-Year-Old Devraj and Family Preserve Ancestral Pottery

> In Ambala's Kumhar Mohalla, 75-year-old artisan Devraj and ten members of his extended family have kept their 100-year-old pottery legacy alive, supplying handmade earthen goods across Haryana, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Haryana · **Published:** 2026-10-05 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/haryana/ambala-men-100-sala-purani-mitti-ki-virasata-75-varshiya-devraj-aura-unaka-parivara-pirhiyon-se-snjoe-hue-hain-pushtaini-hunara-43431 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Ambala, Pottery, Devraj, Heritage Craft, Haryana, Traditional Art

Even as modern cookware has largely replaced earthen vessels across household kitchens, an artisan household in the Kumhar Mohalla locality of Ambala continues to preserve a century-old cultural trade. For this family, clay is neither mere earth nor an obsolete material; it represents their intergenerational identity and everyday sustenance. At 75 years of age, senior artisan Devraj continues to shape raw clay with his own hands every day, flanked by multiple generations of his family who are equally committed to sustaining the craft.

## A Century of Ancestral Craftsmanship Passed Across Generations
Pottery has been the foundation of Devraj's household for nearly 100 years. Both his grandfather and father practiced the trade, molding vessels to sustain the family. As a young boy, Devraj watched his father transform lumps of wet clay into intricate everyday items, gradually absorbing the nuances of wheel throwing and firing. He subsequently committed his life to the profession and has now been personally crafting clay goods for roughly 60 years. Although he is now 75, his hands still carry the exact dexterity and command that he developed decades ago.

## Diverse Clay Products Ranging from Pitchers to Water Dispensers
Over the decades, Devraj has broadened his craft to include traditional earthen pitchers, cooking vessels, miniature temple shrines, ceremonial lamps, decorative pots known locally as gadbade, and naturally insulated cooling clay campers. In earlier times, demand for clay items was naturally widespread before industrial substitutes emerged. Yet despite the influx of modern metal and plastic utensils into local markets, Devraj never stepped away from the wheel. He maintains that no honest trade is inherently inferior, emphasizing that sincere labor in any vocation provides dignity and progress.

## Ten Family Members United Across Production and Supply
The continuation of this heritage rests on an entire collective effort. Devraj's two sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren all actively take part in daily operations. Approximately 10 family members handle the end-to-end process, from processing raw soil and throwing pots to baking and distributing finished goods. For Devraj, the deepest personal fulfillment lies in knowing that his ancestral heritage will not conclude with his own lifetime. While acknowledging the modern rush toward consumer alternatives, he believes younger generations carry a responsibility to preserve cultural practices, frequently urging households to reintroduce earthen pots into daily routines.

## Distribution Across Regional Borders in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh
Devraj's son Surender explains that the family never looked down upon their traditional occupation. His grandfather laid the groundwork, his father solidified the trade, and now Surender is training his own son on the wheel. Working together as a cohesive family unit has preserved their domestic ties while securing steady economic independence. Demand for their craftsmanship extends well beyond the boundaries of Ambala city. Shipments of finished terracotta products regularly head to Punjab destinations such as Ropar and Rajpura, as well as several districts across Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. In past years, specialized planters shaped by Devraj's father were supplied all the way to Kurukshetra University, where family artisans occasionally traveled in person to manufacture goods directly on site.

## What this means for you
Choosing artisan-made earthenware offers a natural, sustainable alternative that supports local craft livelihoods and household health.

- **Across India:** Incorporating earthen cookware and drinkware reduces reliance on single-use plastics and synthetic kitchenware. Supporting such traditional artisan clusters helps preserve local manufacturing ecosystems across regional states.
- **In Ambala:** Purchasing directly from family-run workshops directly strengthens the regional cottage industry. Residents across Ambala, Ropar, and surrounding districts gain access to authentic handmade pottery at fair prices without intermediate distributors.
- **Household Health Benefits:** Earthen water pitchers and cooling dispensers offer natural evaporative cooling without electricity. This reduces reliance on home refrigeration while keeping stored drinking water free of synthetic chemicals.
- **Cultural Heritage Retention:** Intergenerational workshops prevent centuries-old handicraft techniques from vanishing from modern towns. Active family involvement demonstrates that ancestral manual trades can still sustain dignified regional livelihoods.

## Why this happened
This artisan family successfully kept their century-old trade alive through joint household collaboration, product diversification, and regional distribution networks despite industrial competition.

- **Collective Household Labor:** Operating with 10 family members allowed the workshop to divide raw processing, crafting, firing, and distribution without heavy outside overhead. This collaborative model made the craft commercially viable across decades.
- **Functional Product Diversification:** Rather than producing only standard water pots, the family introduced portable clay coolers, miniature temple shrines, and decorative vessels. This product range adapted their output to modern domestic use.
- **Regional Market Reach:** The workshop expanded distribution beyond Ambala into neighboring districts across Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. This broader geographic footprint ensured consistent demand through changing market seasons.
- **Cultural Pride in Manual Trade:** The family consciously rejected the stigma often associated with manual craft professions. Passing the technical skill down through three generations ensured continuity where other traditional workshops dissolved.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. Who is Devraj and what trade does he practice in Ambala?
Devraj is a 75-year-old artisan from Kumhar Mohalla in Ambala who has been hand-crafting pottery for roughly 60 years.

### 2. How long has pottery been practiced in Devraj's family?
The pottery trade has been active in his household for about 100 years, established by his grandfather and continued by his father.

### 3. What kinds of clay goods does Devraj's family produce?
They manufacture traditional pitchers, cooking pans, small temple shrines, clay lamps, decorative pots, and insulated cooling campers.

### 4. How many family members currently work in the pottery business?
Approximately 10 family members, including Devraj's two sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren, work across preparation, production, and supply.

### 5. Where are the family's pottery products distributed?
Their goods are supplied across districts in Haryana, into Punjab towns like Ropar and Rajpura, and across parts of Himachal Pradesh.

### 6. What was the family's historical connection to Kurukshetra University?
Planters made by Devraj's father were historically supplied to Kurukshetra University, where family artisans occasionally manufactured clay items on site.

## Inspiration & Lessons
The story of Devraj and his family illustrates how collaborative effort, resilience, and pride in traditional skills can sustain a meaningful vocation across generations.

- **Dignity of Labor:** No honest craft is inferior when practiced with dedication and integrity. Taking pride in manual skills enables workers to build enduring respect regardless of modern market shifts.
- **Strength of Family Cooperation:** Sharing enterprise responsibilities across ten household members turns individual work into a sustainable family business. Collective participation strengthens interpersonal bonds while ensuring economic resilience.
- **Preserving Cultural Identity:** Modernization does not require discarding cultural heritage. Passing practical skills directly to youth ensures that valuable craft traditions do not disappear from collective memory.
- **Consistency Over Decades:** Remaining dedicated to a single craft for six decades through changing market trends shows that persistence and patience form the true core of enduring livelihood.

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